Algeria

Algeria, an extremely fertile land, is known for its huge exports in crops. From wheat, to oats and barley, the country's food resources are extremely important. The country is in fact the largest oat exporter in the entirety of Africa.

Algeria's main cities are Algiers, Oran and Constantine, which are reasonably sized and are a complement to the agricultural side of the country. Still recovering from a debt ridden economy, Algeria has shown much promise as a developing country, especially within the last decade.

Geography:

Officially the People's Republic of Algeria, the country stands as the second largest on the African continent. It is bordered by Tunisia on the North-West, by Libya in the East, by Niger in the South-West and by Morocco and a few kilometers of the Western Sahara in the West.

Its climate is temperate in Northern Algeria with a mild Mediterranean climate. In Tell Atlas the Winters are not particularly cold and the Summers are warm. Rainfall is abundant here, yet farther inland it is less plentiful. In Eastern Algeria the temperatures are very low. The Sirocco is a dusty, choking wind that blows in from the desert and is a prominent feature of the region.

Most of the coastal areas are hilly, but sometimes are mountainous. In the area South of the coast, is the Tell Atlas, which is made up of fertile land. Further South is the Atlas mountain range and the Sahara desert. The Ahaggar Mountains , known more commonly as the Hoggar, is a highland region in the central Sahara within Southern Algeria . A small corner of the Maddie Sahara lies across the Tropic of Cancer and during the Winter this region is very hot during the day, but chilly in the evening.

Government:

The Head of State in Algeria is the President of the Republic who is elected to a five year term. People who hold the position of President are allowed to have it renewed only once. The President is the Head of Council of Ministers and of the High Security Council. He appoints the Prime Minister who is the Head of Government. The Prime Minister appoints the Council of Ministers.

Algeria's parliament is bicameral and is made up of the National People's Assembly, with 380 members, and the Council of Nation, with 144 members.

Algeria's political parties must be approved by the Ministry of the Interior before they can be formed, which makes for less discrimination from political organisations within the Government.

Foreign Relations:

Algeria is part of the African Union, the Arab League and the United Nations (UN). The country also contributed towards the creation of the Arab Maghreb Union in the late 1980s.

Transportation:

Algeria has approximately 140 airports – 50 of them with paved runways and the rest without paved runways. The level of airports within the country contributes greatly to the ease of trade and tourism. There are also many ports that enable overseas countries to trade and travel, often for less money than it would take by air.

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© Written by E.J.Clarke.